Tulsa's Spartan Aircraft Company was founded in 1928 and acquired, by millionaire J. Paul Getty, 10 years later. For its first 17 years, the concern built aircraft. Following World War II, production shifted to trailer coaches. The first SPARTANETTE model, a 24-foot rig, was introduced for the 1948 model year. The 1950 SPARTANETTE TANDEM, a 30 foot, twin-axle rig, is depicted above.
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Spartan-built rigs were famous for their quality and craftsmanship and were considered the "Cadillac of coaches." The 1950 SPARTANETTE TANDEM line consisted of three models, with the "130-1" floor plan shown here. This trailer, which originally sold for $3951.00, had a center -galley-type- kitchen, with the sink stretching along the front side of the unit. Another novel feature was a back door in the back.
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MODEL 233, from the Windy City's Glider Trailer Company, extended for 33 feet. It featured an all-aluminum exterior with a "bonderized lustre finish."
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On the interior, there was a built-in, expandable dining table, 6 cubic foot electric refrigerator and "hot and cold shower." There was a bathroom (of sorts), but it did not have a commode.
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Built by the Raymond Products Company, of Saginaw, Michigan, the TRAVELO 26 was praised in advertisements for its comfort and livability. At the same time, its "excellent towing and handling qualities" (due to its short -26 foot- length) were touted.
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Although the TRAVELO 26 offered only 200 square feet of living area, it was marketed not as a travel-type unit, but as a "permanent trailer home." There were a bathroom with shower, extendable snack bar-dining table and plenty of closet space. A second exterior door was omitted from the floor plan and replaced by a (quote-unquote) "small, side-hinged utility door."
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In "The Long, Long Trailer" feature film, Tacy and Nicky Collini's New Moon rig extended 35 feet & 3 inches from stern-to-bow. It included amenities such as a doorbell chime (which was available as an option), studio sofa and glass window oven ("so you don't even have to open the door to see inside").
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A floor plan of one of the variations of the '53 New Moon MODEL "35." A mock-up set of the rig was created by the movie studio, with a few modifications. The actual trailer did not have a sunken living room. Also, the shower shown in the movie would have been a bath tub. Lastly, the depiction of a twin-bed master suite complied with the Hollywood tabu of single-bedded couples. The actual trailer came with a double "island bed." However, two twin beds were available as an option.
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As part of the publicity campaign for MGM's "The Long, Long Trailer," Michigan's Redman Industries-New Moon Homes marketed their 1954 35 footer as the 'I Love Lucy' model.
Drawing from the Palm Beach Post
One of many Hoosier State trailer coach builders, the Schult Corporation was formed in 1934. For 1953, they were offering the ARISTOCRAT model, with six different floor plans. Above, we see the "37 DF" rig. As its name implied, it extended for 37 feet, which was the maximum tail end-to-tongue length available from Schult at the time.
The Model 37 DF ARISTOCRAT was one of the early "front bedroom" trailers. Its interior space included a late moderne-style knotty pine kitchen, birch plywood wall paneling and inlaid linoleum flooring. The rig also came equipped with a 12 gallon electric water heater, 4-burner gas "apartment" range (with glass oven door), "davenport" (or sofa), which converted into a double bed, and oil-fired, forced-air furnace.
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